IPL 2020 boosted by teams predicting rise in TRPs even if edition is curtailed: Report

Several Indian Premier League 2020 (IPL 2020) franchises have predicted exceptional television viewership, should the tournament gets staged amid the ongoing global pandemic. Originally, the IPL 2020 was intended to launch on March 29 with a match between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings (CSK). However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) postponed the event due to the coronavirus-induced India lockdown. According to a report by Mumbai Mirror, BCCI President Sourav Ganguly and IPL 2020 officials are now considering a September-November window to hold the event.

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IPL 2020 franchises predict an increase in viewership

While speaking with the PTI, Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) co-owner Ness Wadia said that while hosting IPL 2020 “won’t be easy”, the franchises have no issues even if the tournament will be a curtailed one. He urged BCCI to stage it at a place which has adequate infrastructure for all teams, thus implying that the IPL 2020 can be organised outside India as well. He cited the example of the IPL 2009, when the edition was shifted from India to South Africa just a month prior to its launch.

Be it in India or overseas, the IPL 2020 is highly likely to be played behind closed doors due to the contagious nature of the disease. Ness Wadia said that despite no crowd presence at venues, the IPL 2020 is expected to rake in an increment in viewership even if the tournament gets shortened. He was of the opinion that the “world has been through much” and it needs an outlet like the IPL 2020. While predicting the increase in viewership, Ness Wadia believed that it will also help IPL 2020 attract a lot of sponsors because the tournament will give them a lot of publicity.

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On the other hand, a source close to the CSK asserted that IPL 2020 will only get sponsors once BCCI comes up with the dates for the tournament. Like Ness Wadia, the source was also of the opinion regarding television bringing in sponsors but admitted the current situation is not a usual scenario for the IPL 2020. Another franchise official said the IPL brand now has the potential to become bigger than it ever was before. The official stated the main revenue for franchises is generated from BCCI’s central pool while adding that IPL 2020 can be conducted in September and October this year.

Recently, even KKR CEO Venky Mysore urged the BCCI to host the event later this year and claimed that nearly all the franchises are on the same page even if the tournament would be a curtailed one or played behind closed doors or held overseas.

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IMAGE CREDITS: IPLT20.COM & Mumbai Indians official Twitter accounts